THE NUMBER of people arriving and departing through Phuket International Airport shows a marked year-on-year increase for July, with total passenger numbers up by17.47 percent.
International travellers led the way, increasing to 224,361 arrivals and departures, up 47.15 percent. The total jumped above the half-million mark, to 507,698. Domestic travel, though, was virtually static, improving a mere 1.29 percent.
Based on these figures and what's being said by tourism industry leaders, tourists appear to be ignoring national travel warnings and the prospect of a renewal of violence in Bangkok.
Direct flights to Phuket is one advantage that the southern resort capital has over other destinations within Thailand that require travel through Bangkok.
Total in-bound and out-bound flights through Phuket rose by 29.71 percent year-on-year in July, with international trips jumping by 34.65 percent. Flights in and out amounted to 3763.
Steady increases are also reflected in the comparison between the period October-July 2009-2010 and October-July 2008-2009. Total passenger numbers are up by 25.90, with the international element increasing by 36.42 percent.
Total arrivals and departures through Phuket reached 5,768,200 in this latest period. Cargo tonnage has also increased by 50.87 percent.
More good news can be expected: last August marked a turnaround in a slide in numbers that extended back to October 2008. This August is expected to continue the 2010 recovery.
Phuket's number-crunchers are anticipating continued growth in tourist numbers towards the 2010-2011 high season, although some resorts have cut room rates to win back market share.
Corruption-Free Phuket Can Win World Expo 2020International travellers led the way, increasing to 224,361 arrivals and departures, up 47.15 percent. The total jumped above the half-million mark, to 507,698. Domestic travel, though, was virtually static, improving a mere 1.29 percent.
Based on these figures and what's being said by tourism industry leaders, tourists appear to be ignoring national travel warnings and the prospect of a renewal of violence in Bangkok.
Direct flights to Phuket is one advantage that the southern resort capital has over other destinations within Thailand that require travel through Bangkok.
Total in-bound and out-bound flights through Phuket rose by 29.71 percent year-on-year in July, with international trips jumping by 34.65 percent. Flights in and out amounted to 3763.
Steady increases are also reflected in the comparison between the period October-July 2009-2010 and October-July 2008-2009. Total passenger numbers are up by 25.90, with the international element increasing by 36.42 percent.
Total arrivals and departures through Phuket reached 5,768,200 in this latest period. Cargo tonnage has also increased by 50.87 percent.
More good news can be expected: last August marked a turnaround in a slide in numbers that extended back to October 2008. This August is expected to continue the 2010 recovery.
Phuket's number-crunchers are anticipating continued growth in tourist numbers towards the 2010-2011 high season, although some resorts have cut room rates to win back market share.
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Your heading "Tourists come charging back" may not be quite correct. Many resident ex-pats and long stayers now transit via KL and Changi airports to avoid the high cost of THAI tickets and the hassles and scams of Suvarnabhumi. Last month a group of nine of us flew from Phuket to Saigon and back via KL for the above mentioned reason and many of the passengers on the Phuket-KL-Phuket leg were ex-pats transiting to/from Asia, Europe, Australia etc. Do they get classed as 'tourists charging back'?
Posted by Pete on August 8, 2010 09:29
Editor Comment:
There are certainly business trips and visa run trips out of Phuket made by people who are based here. Are there enough to be more than a blip on the 507,000 arrivals and departures in July? The raw information provided on a monthly basis doesn't tell us. But if the trend to go to KL or Singapore has a real effect, you'll see THAI lopping flights. If international arrivals and departures are up by 47.15 percent, then we reckon that has to be mostly tourists. And it's impressive enough as a figure to say tourists are ''charging back.''